Happy reading! Be healthy y'all and enjoyyyy!! đ¸â¨
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As the whole group stood outside the boutique, staring at the closed door, the cold wind caressed their bodies making them aware of the situation they were in.
Vivaan glared at vedansh, who was hidden behind aashvika, and spoke, "Jahaan jao jungli pana dikha deta hai.." His tone, dry, with a hint of annoyance in it.
[Wherever we go, he ends up showing his wild side..]
Rushika crossed her arms and joined in, also glaring at him. "Main isse dhang se jaanti nahi lekin yeh sach mein jungli hai!" she said, agreeing with her âbillionaireâ brother-in-law.
[I don't even know him properly but he is truly wild!]
That was enough to activate vedanshâs theatrics. He scowled at her, then clutched his chest like heâd been shot. "Bhabhi dekho kaise aapke bichare devar ko keh rahe hain yeh log..koi daya hi nahi kar raha bichare bacche par!!" His voice cracked dramatically.
[ Bhabhi, look at how these people are talking to your poor brother-in-law... no one is showing any mercy to this poor kid!! ]
Aashvika rolled her eyes at his drama but couldnât help the small smile tugging at her lips. She shook her head, exhaling and spoke, "Alright fine! Ab jo hogaya vo hogaya, what should we do now?" She looked around at the rest of them, eyebrows raised, waiting for someone to have an actual plan.
"Ab dusre boutique mein jaayenge aur kya?" Rushika spoke, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Everyone collectively sighedâ long, tired, and resigned.
[ We will go to another boutique, what else? ]
With no better options, they all started walking again. Their shoes tapped against the pavement, past other shops and cafes, until after a few minutes, they all stood in front of another huge boutique. This one had even bigger glass windows, even brighter lights, and mannequins that looked suspiciously expensive. Before stepping in, they all passed a glare towards Vedanshâ a synchronized, four-person warning shot.Â
Vedansh just followed them with a pout, his arms crossed in front of his chest like a scolded kid. "Ab bacche ki jaan loge kya?" he muttered under his breath, kicking a tiny pebble.
Vivaan heard it. He chuckled dryly, shaking his head, and spoke, "Ghode jaisi shakal, gadhe jaisi akal, bada aaya baccha banne wala!" He teasingly snickered and walked away, pushing the boutique door open without looking back.
Vedansh just stared at him from behind, his mouth wide open in betrayal, his palm pressed against his heart again as he muttered, "Bigg boss mujhe hurt hua hai!"
The bell above the door jingled as Vivaan pushed it open, and all five of them stepped into the boutique. If the last place was fancy, this one was next level. Chandeliers dripped from the ceiling like frozen rain, scattering warm light across polished marble floors that reflected every step. Soft instrumental music floated through the air and racks of lehengas lined the walls in a riot of color: maroons, emeralds, blush pinks, and golds that caught the light with every breath of air.
A saleswoman in a crisp black saree glided towards them. Her smile was professional but wary. Her eyes flicked to Vedansh, specifically to the way he was limping with one hand still unconsciously pressed to his lower back and her smile tightened just a fraction.
"Welcome to our boutique," she said smoothly, hands folded in front of her. "How may I help you today ma'am?"
"Lehenga," Rushika said quickly, before anyone else could speak. Her voice was a little too fast, a little too bright. "Weâre just looking for an engagement lehenga, peacefully." She shot vedansh a look that carried the weight of a very stern promise of violence if he moved wrong.
Vedansh raised both hands in surrender, eyes wide and innocent. "Main toh bas dekhunga," he mumbled, suddenly very interested in the floor. His gaze locked onto a particularly shiny vein in the marble like it was the most fascinating thing heâd ever seen. "Promise. No touching. No breathing too hard near the mannequins."
Rushika snorted, failing to hide her grin now. They all moved towards the female section, shoes quiet against the marble. Sahil shoved his hands in his pockets, Vivaan kept his posture casual but his eyes alert, and aashvika walked like she was leading a group of toddlers through a museum. The staff members hovered nearby, not even pretending to organize clothes anymore. The female staff was watching vedansh like a hawk watches a suspicious squirrel.
For exactly three minutes, everything was normal. Vivaan and Sahil walked together, pausing to observe the lehengas. Aashvika and Rushika walked together, fingers brushing over sleeves and dupattas The music played. The chandeliers glittered. No one was limping dramatically or addressing inanimate objects.Â
And then, Vedansh gasped, loudly, almost dramatically.
His head snapped up, his whole body going rigid, and the sound he made was. Every single person in the group froze. The staff member took a half-step forward like she was about to tackle him.
"Arre woh dekho!" He pointed at a dark emerald green lehenga with gold work, displayed on a mannequin on a raised platform. The lehenga shimmered under the boutique lightsâ deep, royal green silk heavy with zari.
"Bhabhi, look at this! You will look like a queen!" Vedanshâs voice echoed a little too loudly in the quiet, high-end space, his finger stretched out like heâd just discovered a new continent.
He took one step towards it and started climbing the display. His limp long forgotten, his promises of good behavior evaporating. One foot landed on the edge of the marble platform with a soft thud, his hand already reaching out to steady himself against the mannequinâs shoulder.
Four heads snapped toward him.Â
"VEDANSH!" All of them yelled in unison. Vivaanâs voice was sharp, Sahilâs was horrified, Rushikaâs was furious, and Aashvikaâs was just pure, tired betrayal. The staff member's professional smile cracked for half a second.
He froze mid-step, one foot in the air like a cartoon character caught by the pause button. His arms windmilled once for balance before he planted his foot back on the ground, eyes wide with fake innocence. "Kya? Main jaa nahi raha tha! Main bas⌠ishara kar raha tha! Door se!" He waved his hand in the air vaguely.
The staff member cleared her throat. The sound was polite, but deadly. Her smile hadnât moved, but her eye was twitching. "Sir, we can bring it down for you to see. Please do not climb the display." Her tone gentle yet firm.
"I wasnât climbing!" Vedansh said, offended, pressing a hand to his chest like sheâd accused him of stealing. "Main athlete thodi hoon jo platform pe chadh jaunga."
Vivaan pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly like he was counting to ten in four different languages. "Tu bas muh band rakh aur seedha khada reh." His voice was low, lethal, and carried a hint of exhaustion.
Aashvika was already moving away, speed-walking towards the nearest rack like distance could erase their association. She was pretending she didnât know him, pretending she came alone, pretending her name wasnât about to be on a boutique blacklist.
She picked up a pastel pink lehenga, the fabric soft and light in her hands, and held it against herself in the mirror. For a second, the chaos dulled. Vivaanâs eyes softened when he looked at her, the chaos from two minutes ago forgotten. His expression went unreadable againâ that same raw, deep and intense.
Rushika noticed the both of them and she didnât even try to hide her grin. "Scene phir se start hone wala hai," she muttered under her breath while staring at them, eyes gleaming.
Meanwhile, vedansh, bored and unsupervised for 0.2 seconds, leaned towards a mannequin wearing a maroon lehenga and whispered to it as if it was a human being, "Behen, tu safe hai, main tujhe touch nahi karunga, promise." He said it with complete sincerity, bending slightly at the waist, one hand raised like he was taking an oath.
The staff member heard him and she did not look amused. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
Ten minutes later, they walked out of the boutique as they didnât find any lehenga interesting. Though, no one was kicked out and no mannequins were harmed.
"Progress," Vivaan muttered, checking his watch. He shook his head, a tired smile tugging at his mouth despite himself. "Koi mara nahi, koi gira nahi." He spoke, humour evident in his tone, dry and warm at the same time, making all of them stifle their laughter except vedansh who just rolled his eyes at him.
"Abhi din baaki hai," Rushika said, sarcasm evident in her tone. "Third boutique next?" She asked all of them.
Vedansh perked up immediately. His whole face lit up, past betrayals forgotten. "Haan! Teesri baar lucky hota ha-"Â
"SHUT UP!" four voices yelled together.
After a 15 minute strategy meeting outside the second boutique which was really just Vivaan threatening Vedansh and Rushika placing bets on how fast heâd cause an incident once again, they all started walking and then stopped in front of the third boutique which was smaller than the last two, cozier, with warm lighting and wooden displays instead of glass. No towering chandeliers, no marble that echoed every footstep. Just warm yellow bulbs, dark wood shelves, and lehengas hung on wooden hangers instead of impaled on mannequins. It smelled like sandalwood and fabric softener.
Vivaanâs eyes narrowed. Rushika crossed her arms. Sahil took a step back. If a place looked this harmless, it meant the universe was setting them up.
"Rules," Vivaan said, turning to vedansh before anyone touched the door. He held up three fingers, his expression dead serious, like he was briefing a soldier before deployment. "One, you do not touch anything. Two, You do not talk to mannequins. Three, If you feel the urge to be helpful, sit on your fucking hands."
Vedansh straightened up and gave the most exaggerated salute. "Yes sir." Sarcasm dripping from his voice. His hand slapped his forehead so hard it echoed.
"...Blink, at least." Sahil muttered, eyeing him like heâd been replaced by a poorly programmed robot.
The bell chimed softly as they entered. The owner, an old woman with spectacles and a kind smile, greeted them from behind a wooden counter. "Aaiye beta, shaadi ki shopping? Dulhan kaun hai?" Her voice was warm, motherly, and completely unprepared for the emotional damage about to walk in.Â
Four pairs of eyes immediately darted to Aashvika. It was instant. Synchronized. Vivaan, Sahil, Rushika, Vedanshâ all of them, like magnets.
She choked on air, going red from her neck to her hairline. Her hand flew to her mouth as she coughed, caught mid-breath. While, Vivaan suddenly found the carpet very interesting.
"Uh.. engagement ke liye lehenga chaahiye." Aashvika spoke, her face flushed red. The words came out rushed, tumbling over each other as aashvika tried to recover from choking. She wouldnât meet the auntyâs eyes, or Vivaanâs, or anyoneâs. Her fingers twisted the end of her sleeve.
The lady smiled knowingly. "Haan haan, samajh gayi." She adjusted her spectacles and gestured toward the racks.
For five whole minutes, it was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
With Aashvika looking at the lehengas, running her hand along a sleeve embroidered with silver thread. Rushika giving unfiltered opinions, holding up a neon orange piece and saying "this belongs in a crime scene" loud enough for the aunty to hear. Sahil scrolling on his phone, leaning against a wooden pillar. Vivaan hovering near Aashvika pretending to look at dupattas and Vedansh standing in the corner, actually behaving this time. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, his shoulders back, his face the picture of innocence. He was even blinking at regular intervals with Sahil glancing at him like he was waiting for the jump scare.
Until, he saw it.
A tiny display table near the billing counter. On which, stood a miniature mannequin, like 1 foot tall, wearing a tiny bridal lehenga. The lehenga was deep red with real zardozi work, a perfect replica of a full-size bridal piece, complete with a tiny veil. It was displayed under a small spotlight, like the crown jewel of the store. Next to it sat a glass jug of water and glasses for customers.
Vedanshâs eyes sparkled as he stared at it. His whole posture changed, the boredom vanished and his pupils dilated. This was it. This was safe. This was small. This was his redemption arc.Â
"You guys!" he yelled, gesturing with his eyes only. His head tilted toward the table, but his hands stayed glued to his sides like Vivaan had nailed them there. "Woh dekho! Choti wali mannequin! Cute hai na?" His voice was full of wonder.
Aashvika turned. "Where?" She followed his gaze, confused, scanning the full-sized racks.Â
"There," Vedansh said, still not moving, proud of himself for following rules. His chin jerked toward the counter. He was practically vibrating with the effort of not walking over. "Table pe, mini lehenga, promise main nahi touch karunga, bas aapâ"Â
At that exact moment, Sahil walked backwards while looking at his phone and bumped the table. Hard. His elbow caught the edge with a dull thunk that made everyoneâs head snap towards him. His phone clattered to the wooden floor.
Time slowed down.
The mini mannequin wobbled and then tilted and fell. It went in slow motion, first a tremble, then a lean and then it toppled.
Straight into a full glass jug of water kept for customers.Â
SPLASH.
The sound was obscene in the quiet boutique. Water sloshed over the rim, soaking the wooden table, the tiny veil, the embroidered lehenga, and the old lady's sales record. The mini bride floated face-down.
Silence.
The lady, Aashvika, Rushika, Vivaan, Sahil, Vedansh, and the now-soggy mini bride all stared at the table. The lady's smile was gone, Aashvikaâs hand was over her mouth, Rushikaâs eyes were wide with delighted horror, Vivaan looked like he was calculating bail costs, Sahil looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him and Vedansh looked personally offended on behalf of the mini mannequin.
And the mini bride just bobbed there.
Drowned. Betrayed. Damp.
Vedansh slowly raised his hand like he was a lawyer presenting undeniable evidence in court. Water dripped from the table onto the wooden floor. "TechnicallyâŚmaine nahi touch kara..." He spoke.
Vivaan closed his eyes in frustration. His temples throbbed. He was counting from one to ten, in 4 different languages to calm himself down.
"Vedansh." He spoke, just his name. Flat and tired. The tone of a man who had aged five years in the last three boutiques.
"Kya?!" Vedansh yelled, throwing his hands up. "Sahil ne giraaya!" He gestured wildly at sahil and then at the crime scene.
The lady adjusted her spectacles. The movement was slow, deliberate. Her smile was still there. But it was different now. "Beta, aap log ko paani chahiye tha toh bol dete, mannequin ko nehlane ki kya zaroorat thi?." Her voice was sweet, deadly sweet. Like honey poured over a knife.
Rushika burst out laughing and immediately fake-coughed. The laugh escaping her mouth before she could stop it. "Pfftt- sorry- al..allergy hai mujhe.." she wheezed, eyes watering. Aashvika covered her face with both of her hands, wanting to erase her existence.
Sahil looked horrified, his face had gone pale, then red, then pale again. He bent to pick up his phone with shaking hands. "Iâm so sorry, aunty, I didnât mean to-"
"Bas beta." The lady said, picking up the dripping mini mannequin. She held it between two fingers, the water streaming from its tiny veil. "Aaj hamari dukan mein holi ho gayi." The woman spoke.
And well, they were not kicked out. But worse. They had to stand there while the lady dried the mannequinâs lehenga with a hair dryer and gave them a 10 minute lecture on âaaj kal ke baccheâ and âresponsibility.â She held the mini bride by its plastic head and rotated it slowly under the hot air, muttering about âphone pe lage rehte hain,â âdhyaan kidhar hai,â and âhamare zamaane mein.â
With, Vedansh trying to look remorseful but failing, Rushika biting her lips to not laugh, Vivaan staring at the ceiling, praying for strength, Aashvika examining a random chunni like it contained a very special secret and sahil mumbling a "sorry" every six seconds.
After only 2 minutes, they left the boutique while being too embarrassed to stay there with Vivaan holding Sahilâs ears. Rushika and Aashvika sighing in frustration. And Vedansh mumbling on how he felt for the mini mannequin.
The door chimed shut behind them. While, inside, the old lady was still drying the lehenga.
The group stood outside the boutique, shoulders slumped as they stared up at the sky like they were asking God what theyâd done wrong. The heat clung to them, the mood heavier than before. After a shared, heavy sigh of defeat, they dragged themselves forward and kept walking.
When they reached the fourth boutique, they all gave a last warning to Sahil and Vedansh, and then walked into the fourth and the last boutique. With them deciding beforehand that if things didn't go well here, they would go shopping for another day.
They all walked inside and immediately started finding outfits for Aashvika. The boutique was cooler than the street, lit with warm spotlights that made the fabrics gleam. Rushika veered left toward the heavier pieces, Sahil slumped onto a bench by the entrance, and vedansh began scrolling on his phone, already defeated.Â
Vivaan, who was roaming around, was different. He wasnât browsingâ he was hunting. Observing every dress carefully, his mind working at its peak to pick out the best dress, his eyes moved with intent, cataloging embroidery, color, fall. He walked in the centre of the store, unhurried, his presence quiet but focused. His eyes wandered through the whole boutique, past the sequined gowns and the pastel anarkalis, until they settled on a lehenga standing in the centre on a mannequin.
He smiled as soon as he saw the lehengaâ a small, certain smile, the kind that came when something felt right. He turned around, trying to find aashvika, scanning the racks and the corners.
He found her standing at a corner with Rushika, carefully observing all the lehengas. Her head was tilted slightly, fingers hovering over a sleeve, her expression thoughtful and distant. The store noise seemed to dim around her.
With a heart beating loudly in his chest, he walked towards her, his steps hesitant yet determined. Each step felt louder than the last, though no one else could hear it. When he reached Aashvika, her back was facing him, her attention still on the rack.
He kept his fist around his mouth and coughed to grab her attention. Aashvika heard the coughs and turned around, her movement slow. Her eyes landed on Vivaan's face, who stood there, his one hand, made into a fist, covering his mouth while the other one was in his pockets. His posture was casual, but his eyes werenât.
Her heart beat rose, a sudden, unruly thrum against her ribs. She gazed at him, and the rest of the world became blur for her.
Her cheeks turned pink, the color rising slowly, from the base of her neck to the curve of her cheekbones, the kind of warmth that came from being looked at like you were the only thing heâd been looking for in a room full of beautiful things.
Yet her brows were scrunched together in confusion, a small crease forming between them.
She didnât speak. She waited for him to say something, her breath held halfway in her chest, her weight shifted slightly to one foot. Then, before he could speak, her gaze faltered and she looked at the floor.
Her throat went dry as she stared at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. The tiles were white, polished to a mirror shine, and suddenly much more interesting than before.
Vivaan took slow yet determined steps and stood beside her, close enough that the sleeve of his shirt nearly brushed her arm, close enough that she could smell the faint trace of his cologne over the boutiqueâs perfume of new fabric and air freshener.
And then he pointed towards the centre, his arm extending past her, steady. His gaze yet being on Aashvika's faceâ he wasnât looking at what he was pointing to. He was watching her, waiting for the moment her eyes found it.Â
Aashvika slowly looked up, her movement hesitant. Her gaze wandered from the floor to Vivaan's arm, tracing the line of his wrist, the rolled-up sleeve, the faint veins on the back of his hand. Then she followed it to the direction he was pointing in, her breath held without her realizing.Â
And there it stood.
A mannequin displaying a luxurious champagneâgold lehenga crafted with dense layers of shimmering sequins and intricate beadwork that caught every glint of light, making the fabric sparkle like a sky full of miniature stars. The lehenga's skirt was heavily embellished with fine sequin patterns and delicate bead detailing, its folds swirling gracefully around the mannequin's hips and cascading in rich, luxurious pleats that glittered with every movement. The matching long sleeve blouse was fashioned from metallic gold material, its surface covered in fine sequins that clung to the mannequins torso. A sheer, translucent dupatta draped over one arm of the mannequin that was also sprinkled with sparkling sequins and bead accents, adding an airy, ethereal veil of glittering glamour to the ensemble, completing the opulent, dreamâlike sparkle lehenga.
Aashvika stared at it in awe, it was as if the lehenga was personally customised just for her. The color, the cut, the way the gold caught the lightâ it felt like someone had reached into her mind and pulled out the image she hadnât even known she had. She slowly walked towards it, her eyes fixed on the lehenga, her earlier hesitation gone.
Vivaan smiled at her reaction, the widening of her eyes, the way her lips parted just slightly, and slowly walked behind her, his pace matching hers without any other thought. He kept a respectful distance, hands in his pockets, but his gaze never left her face for once.
As Aashvika reached the mannequin, she stared at the lehenga, her eyes sparkling with admiration and her lips curved into a smile, the first real one since theyâd entered the store. She reached out a hand and slowly caressed it's skirt, her touch hesitant and gentle.
Vivaan looked at her and asked, "Do you like it?" His voice was low, careful, not wanting to break the spell.
Aashvika, who was still looking at the lehenga, just passed him a faint nod, her chin dipping once, her gaze never leaving the embroidery. She looked down, trying to find the price tag, her practicality resurfacing through the awe. She found it being around the legs of the mannequin, half-hidden by the flare of the skirt.
Stepping closer towards it, she bent slightly and picked it up, the small card cool between her fingers. The price read seventy thousand but due to it being on sale, it was now forty-nine thousand. The numbers registered, and her smile widened realising the lehenga was according to her budget. Relief and delight mixed in her expression, her shoulders relaxing.
"I'm getting this!" She announced, her voice clear and certain, loud enough for the others to hear over the soft store music.
Rushika, Sahil and Vedansh, who were walking nearby, turned at her words and walked towards her. They gathered around the mannequin, a small circle forming. They all stared at the lehenga and smiled in admiration, the same thought passing through each of them.
"It's perfect!" Rushika exclaimed, her hands coming together in a soft clap, making sahil smile.Â
"Indeed." He spoke, nodding, his arms crossed but his expression approving.
"Do you want to try it?" Rushika asked, already glancing toward the trial rooms, but aashvika shook her head in a no.
She walked closer to Rushika and whispered in her ears, "Already late ho raha hai, baad mein altering karwa lenge." She spoke, her voice low, practical again, making Rushika nod her head in understanding.
After purchasing the lehenga, they walked out of the boutique, arms weighed down with garment bags and outfit boxes. The glass door chimed softly behind them as they stepped onto the street. The sun greeted them differently nowâ warmer, gentler, the late afternoon light spilling over their faces in a way it hadnât when theyâd first gone in. For a moment, they just stood there. Then, all at once, they exhaled, finally feeling relieved as the most difficult task of their day was done.Â
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Thank you for reading đ¸
Vedansh should be thanking his ancestors that he's still aliveđđđť
I can't with the second hand embarrassment i- đđđ
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